Conservatives go back to the future with revived tax credit pledges
(The Star Business)

OTTAWA — It’s been déjà vu for the Conservative campaign as Andrew Scheer resurrected the promises of campaigns past in his pledges of tax credits for transit users and families with kids enrolled in arts and fitness programs.Stephen Harper — Scheer’s predecessor — had promised the very same tax breaks during his own campaigns, pledges that became reality when the Conservatives formed government but were subsequently axed by the Liberals.Now the measures are back in the election window, a useful political tactic for the Conservatives keen to show they are on the side of families and remind voters that it was the Liberals who killed the credits.That’s the message Scheer drove home Monday as he promised to revive the two credits for kids’ programs, telling journalists that Trudeau “took away important support that families need.“Why? Because at the end of the day Justin Trudeau thinks he can spend your money better than you,� he said during a stop in Kelowna, B.C.The refundable children’s fitness tax credit would allow parents to claim up to $1,000 in expenses a year for sports programs for each child under 16. The separate children’s arts and learning tax credit would let parents claim up to $500 a year per child for arts-related expenses and extracurricular educational activities. Together, the two measures could save parents up to $225 annually for each child. Parents of children with disabilities would be able to claim higher amounts.Several days earlier, Scheer used a backdrop of GO Transit buses to announce his party was dusting off another policy from the past, the promise to give transit users a 15 per cent tax credit for the purchase of passes and fare cards used for extended periods.So why go into the political time machine for campaign inspiration?Economist Craig Alexander said the appeal of such boutique tax credits is undeniable. They allow politicians to target niche se ...